Police: Bears FB Evan Rodriguez arrested in Fla.

MIAMI—A Chicago Bears fullback faces charges after he allegedly refused to cooperate with officers when a car he was riding in crashed, Miami Beach police reported.

Evan Rodriguez, 24, was arrested early Thursday. According to jail records, he was booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail on charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer at 5:32 a.m. He was released several hours later on $1,500 bail.

Police provided the following account in an arrest report:

Rodriguez was riding with another man when they got into a crash around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. An officer asked Rodriguez for his identification for the crash report, and Rodriguez reportedly responded, "For what, I don't need this, I'm an NFL player. I don't need all that media stuff."

Rodriguez eventually handed over his ID but then walked away several minutes later without it. An officer told the driver to call Rodriguez and have him return to the crash scene, and Rodriguez came back.

After returning, Rodriguez approached the officer administering a roadside sobriety test to the driver, police said. Rodriguez was told several times to wait on a sidewalk.

Rodriguez reportedly said, "I'm hard-headed like that, and I don't have to listen."

Rodriguez eventually went to the sidewalk but then stepped in front of a police car and began yelling to the driver, "Hey man, you don't have to do that."

Officers told Rodriguez that he was interfering with a police investigation and would be subject to arrest.

Advertisement

Rodriguez went back to the side, complaining that he had been knocked out in the crash, and the officers didn't do anything.

An officer reminded Rodriguez that he had refused medical attention.

Rodriguez reportedly continued to yell at officers and the driver, who stopped participating in the sobriety test to respond to Rodriguez.

Police said Rodriguez began drawing a crowd, endangering officers and passersby.

The arresting officer reported that Rodriguez had slurred speech, blood-shot, watery eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

An attorney for Rodriguez wasn't listed on police or jail records.

The Chicago Bears said in a statement that team officials are aware of the arrest.

"We are currently gathering information to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the situation," the statement said.

A fourth-round draft pick out of Temple University, where he was a tight end, Rodriguez played in 12 games for the Bears in his rookie season last year, starting in five of them.

He began his career at West Virginia, While there, he had a felony assault charge reduced to a misdemeanor disturbance and trespassing charge after an alleged physical altercation with a female residence hall adviser. After transferring to Temple in 2008, he was arrested for disorderly conduct in April 2009, and in 2010 sat out a game for breaking an unspecified team rule.